Kristyn Getty, together with her husband Keith – best known for writing ‘In Christ Alone’ – which is reportedly sung by over 40 million people each year, received the news at a meeting of council on Tuesday evening.

Freedom of the City is an hour bestowed by the local council to recognise the impact a person or persons have had on a city.

The northern Irish duo have toured the world performing their worship songs, which feature in many modern day hymn books, including ones used at the Royal Albert Hall in London and Carnegie Hall in New York.

Keith Getty, who was awarded an OBE for his contribution to Christian music in 2017, grew up in Lisburn and attributes his talent and dedication to Christian music to his formative years growing up in Northern Ireland supported by family, friends and the congregation of Elmwood Presbyterian Church.

Keith and Kristyn also founded “New Irish Arts” back in 1994, encouraging people from across Ireland to engage in church music, of which Getty is still honorary president today.

Keith Getty, OBE shared his delight at the news: “Kristyn and I are absolutely thrilled to have been awarded the Freedom of the Borough of Lisburn and Castlereagh. It is incredibly humbling to be recognised by our home town in this way.
“So much of our music was born in Lisburn, from deepest influences and education, to all the earliest songs and…

Although many children may be dreading the end of the school holidays and enjoying the finale of their freedom, kids on free school meals are just looking forward to getting fed every lunchtime again.

At the beginning of the summer, the Trussel Trust, who help run thousands of foodbanks across the country, anticipated the demand to be its highest ever.

87,496 food parcels went to children in the UK during the summer holidays of 2018, which was an increase of 20% on the previous summer.

Christian MP Frank Field has called 2019 the ‘worst summer yet’ for child hunger and called on the government to set up a national scheme that feeds children in the breaks.

Christian foodbank worker Natalie Williams, who works in Hastings, told Premier: “That is what we’re seeing on the ground here. We just this week actually had to put out on Facebook for the first time some photos of our warehouses, empty shelves, with a bit of a desperate appeal for some food to come in.

“Our July was the biggest July we’ve had. We’ve been open for seven years and it’s gone up by about 25% compared to last July and we’re seeing more and more people coming in.

“To be honest with us that’s across the board, not just in the summer, but like I said, we’ve just seen this spike in July.”

She said last Friday they served 166 people in a two hour session. 

Ms Williams explained how she would like…